"In 1977, Kay, who lacked confidence when going 'on the road' to interview people, claimed he suffered a nervous breakdown and locked himself in his hotel room shortly before the 1977 TUC Congress in Blackpool. Returning home after the conference, Kay said he felt unable to resign because it would harm his career, but knew he was not capable of functioning as Industrial Editor either – he claimed that he announced to his wife that he was going to kill himself. He drowned his wife, Harue, in the bath. He then claimed he unsuccessfully attempted to kill himself through methods including hanging, putting his head in a gas oven, jumping out of a window (only to have his fall broken by plastic dustbins), and finally driving his car head-on into a bridge.He was found by the police naked and covered in blood.
Defended at trial by John Mathew QC (paid for by The Sun newspaper) he pleaded guilty to manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility; this was accepted by the court.After a spell of treatment at a psychiatric hospital in Friern Barnet he was taken back on by The Sun on condition that he be confined to the office. "
